The city of Saratoga was recently awarded a $4.2 million state grant for a beautification and safety project along Prospect Road.

The aim of the Prospect Road Beautification and Safety Improvements Project is to make roadway improvements along the nearly 2-mile stretch of Prospect Road between Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Lawrence Expressway.

"These improvements will have a calming effect on vehicle speeding and will bring the stretch of road to the level of beautification that Saratoga residents expect," Councilman Manny Cappello said in a recent video posted on the city's website informing residents about the project.

The project's several improvements include the installation of 16 landscaped medians along Prospect Road. The majority of Prospect Road is devoid of such medians, with the exception of those between Saratoga Creek and Titus Avenue, which were installed about 35 years ago.

The work also includes the installation of new sidewalks where none exist today; construction of ADA compliant ramps and the repair of existing ones; installation of bicycle detector loops to be installed at signalized intersections and green bike lanes to be installed at congested intersections; construction of bus shelters at the bus stop at Prospect High School between Miller Avenue and Kristy Lane similar to bus shelter on Saratoga Avenue; and the installation of audible signals for the visually impaired at the intersection of Prospect Road and Miller Avenue.

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Additional improvements will also be made on Saratoga Avenue between Highway 85 and the city limits near Lawrence Expressway.

The city is in the early stages of the project and will begin the design and environmental review phases shortly, Cappello said.

The project will cost almost $4.8 million, the majority of which will be paid for by the $4.2 million state grant. The city will pay the remaining $560,000 through an existing gas tax fund.

Prior to the start of construction, the city will hold three meetings in 2015 to gather public comment and inform residents about the status of the project. Construction is scheduled for early 2016 and is expected to take 10 to 12 months to complete.

For more information, visit saratoga.ca.us/prospectroad. Residents can also contact Saratoga public works director John Cherbone at 408.868.1241 or Cappello at 408.455.4468.